The present invention broadly relates to firing weapons and, more specifically, pertains to a new and improved construction of a cadence regulator for a gas-pressure operated firing weapon.
Generally speaking, the cadence regulator of the present invention is intended for a gas-pressure operated firing weapon having a temperature-dependent throttling member which regulates the gas pressure by altering the cross-section of a gas passage. The throttling member is movably arranged for altering the cross-section and is moved by regulating means.
In its more particular aspects, the inventive cadence regulator or cadence-regulating device comprises a gas passage defining a predetermined cross-section for conducting gases having a gas pressure and an elevated gas temperature from a firing barrel of the firing weapon to an actuating mechanism of the firing weapon, a movable throttling member arranged in the gas passage for regulating the gas pressure by temperature-dependently altering the predetermined cross-section of the gas passage, and regulating means for moving the throttling member.
In a cadence regulator of this type known from the Swiss Pat. No. 511,414, the regulating device comprises two members made of materials having different coefficients of expansion. The throttling member comprises a piston having a control edge and situated in a cylindrical bore. The piston is loaded on one side by a spring and is contacted on the other side by a fluid. The control edge of the piston can alter a cross-section of a gas passage. Mercury is employed as the fluid in this known cadence regulator. This known cadence regulator has the disadvantage that in time, i.e. as the firing weapon heats up, the cadence cannot be maintained constant.